Four Tips to Get a Handle on Your Content

In Brian Solis’ book, The End of Business as Usual: Rewire The Way You Work To Succeed in the Consumer Revolution, he successfully challenges the notion that content is king. “In the Web 1.0 era, the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the online experience was defined by content” he writes. “In the era of Web 2.0 (the mid-2000’s) the Web revolved around personal connections…and content suddenly became a commodity. The reality is that there was and is too much content…none of which matters to the people engaging with one another.”

Solis uses the Web as the example and delivery platform but one could argue this transition in just about every space, including print. This transition from mass content deployment to one that includes an informed and multi-pronged approach to content engagement is often a difficult concept for CEOs, CMOs, and just about anyone to get their arms around. However, here are four easy tips for joomla_4eloping the basis for a modern content strategy.

1. The first step is the identifying who will access your content and more importantly how they prefer to access the content. One way to do this is to joomla_4elop costumer (or content consumer) profiles for each member of your community. Have your team ask the following questions: Who are our consumers? What do they look like? How do they prefer to receive content (do some research. Is it via the Web, social platforms, print, etc.)? And finally what type of content do they prefer to read, access and share. Hint – Not everybody likes everything about your company or organization so be sure to segment your messages based on the above.

2. The next step which occurs in parallel with the first step is to determine what type(s) of content already exists and what may be needed for future engagement. Many organizations possess the necessary content to drive user experience but don’t necessarily know what type of content they have or where their content (digital and physical assets) resides. Conduct a content audit that will allow your organization to inventory existing content by identifying and cataloging its assets.

3. The next step is to identify the platforms for engagement. What is meant by this is what vehicles or medium will be used to deliver specific content to targeted members of your community in ways they wish to receive it. Once the team has identified and catalogued the content (step 2) marrying that content to delivery mechanisms is relatively easy.

4. The final step is to look for gaps in the existing content and commit the organization to finding new ideas for new content Development. It’s a crowded space out there so challenge your team to joomla_4elop new ideas for your community. This will keep them coming back to your company or organization on a regular basis. Generating new content is one of the greatest challenges to new organizations but remains the most critical.

These tips should help most organizations begin to work toward a greater understanding of how content can help drive revenue through consumer engagement. However, we would love to hear from you. How is your company using content to drive community engagement? Let us know.